Context: Recently, National Innovation Foundation India (NIF) has brought out an indigenous herbal medication (dewormer) in form of commercial product for livestock owners as an alternate to chemical method of treatment of worm.
Key Highlights of development

• To make the indigenous herbal dewormer titles ‘wormivet’ available for livestock owners, NIF worked on a medication in treatment of endoparasite (worm) infestation among livestock.
• The anthelmintic activity of this medication in naturally infested helminthiasis was assessed. The results demonstrated successful impact of this medication.
• Patent was filed for this indigenous medication in 2007.
• In order to diffuse this technology to control endoparasite infestation among livestock, NIF value added and promoted development of a commercial product ‘Wormivet’ through Rakesh Pharmaceuticals, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Why livestock has been targeted?

• Livestock resources are recognized as an important means to sustain food demand and for sustaining local employment. Societies tend to protect animal health through its unique resource closest to its vicinity, like indigenous knowledge system.
• Internal parasite is a significant health problem as it causes diarrhoea, loss in body weight, anaemia, reproductive health concern thereby limiting productivity and growth.
• Further, inappropriate use of chemical dewormer generates resistance. The presence of internal parasite during regular diagnosis and contamination of soil health by chemical based therapy necessitates alternative sustainable therapies.
• In this scenarios, it becomes vital to recognize, respect and reward resolute belief of knowledge holders and their practices that were maintained over generations.
• Traditional system of medicine needs to be integrated in treatment for livestock health system.

About National Innovation Foundation India (NIF) 

• NIF is an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology.
• It was set up in February 2000 to provide institutional support for scouting, sustaining, spawning and scaling up the grassroots innovations across the country.
• Since then, it has been actively engaged in promoting creativity and innovation in society. 
• It has taken major initiatives to serve knowledge-rich but economically poor people of the country.
• It is committed to making India innovative by documenting, adding value, protecting IPR of contemporary unaided technological innovators as well as of outstanding traditional knowledge-holders and disseminating their innovations on non-commercial and commercial basis.

Other key facts related to NIF

• The INSPIRE Award – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) is being revamped and executed by Department of Science & Technology and National Innovation Foundation-India to align it with the action plan for “Start-up India” initiative.
• Micro Venture Innovation Fund (MVIF) at NIF, with support from Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), has provided risk capital to 230 innovation based enterprise projects, some of which are at different stages of incubation.
• Being organised since 2008, IGNITE is an annual competition for student’s ideas and innovations conducted by NIF in partnership with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
• NIF has set up a Technology Business Incubator (NIF) – NIF Incubation and Entrepreneurship Council (NIFientreC).